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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

I'm thrilled to introduce you to today's featured author, Merry Farmer. Her books sound refreshingly entertaining and romantic. Merry has kindly taken time to answer my probing questions. I even asked Merry what advice she would give to aspiring authors. After the interview, Merry has kindly included an excerpt from Fool for Love and a GIVEAWAY for the first book in her Montana Romance series, Our Little Secrets! Now, let's meet Ms. Farmer!

Merry, tell us a
little more about your newest release, Fool
for Love.

Fool for Love is
the second book in my Montana Romance series, but I’ll tell you a little
secret…. I actually came up with the
idea for this one and wrote an embryonic version first, about ten years
ago. It’s the story of an American
cowboy – a romance novel staple – and an English lady fallen on hard times –
another romance staple, but usually not in the same book – who cross into each
other’s worlds and fall in love.

An American cowboy
and English lady—sounds like an entertaining combination. What was your
favorite part about writing your hero, Eric Quinlan, and your heroine, Amelia
Elphick?

I loved writing Amelia because she gave me the chance to try
something new, something that would be a challenge to me as a writer. She’s already pregnant when the book starts
and has been left by the lover who she had hoped would marry her to make things
right. Throughout the whole process of
writing the novel I just wanted to hug her and tell her everything would be all
right, because her self-esteem has taken a huge hit and she believes she is
ruined. I think we’ve all been there in
our real lives.

Fortunately, Eric comes along. I loved writing Eric because he is just so
lovable. He’s one of the kindest heroes
I’ve ever written, but what made him such a treat to write was the fact that he
doesn’t think he’s much of a hero. He
has his own personal struggles, but he also has a sense of humor and a way of
talking that made him a joy to discover and to write.

Ooh, I do enjoy a
hero who must face his own inner struggles and inadequacies. What did you find most challenging when it
came to writing or researching for Fool
for Love?

The late Victorian era is one of my favorite periods of history,
but it’s tricky because so many things were changing so fast, from
technological innovations to personal attitudes to styles of dress, that I had
to constantly check myself to make sure the things I was talking about had been
invented and were in use. A lot of
people who haven’t studied history might be surprised about how advanced
society was at the end of that century!

Does one need to have
read your first Montana Romance, Our
Little Secrets, to enjoy this novel?

I don’t think so.
I’ve gone to great efforts to make this novel stand alone. But I do recommend reading Our Little Secrets first, if only
because the big, gasp-inducing plot twist from Our Little Secrets is mentioned in the course of a conversation in Fool for Love, which spoils the surprise
if you haven’t read it. All things
considered, though, if you don’t mind a spoiler, you could definitely read Fool for Love first.

What had you choosing
Montana for the setting?

I’ve had a bit of a fascination with Montana for years. Possibly since seeing the PBS reality show
“Frontier House”, possibly even before that though. It is the epitome of the Old West in my mind,
and such a beautiful state too!

So far you have
written historical romances from two completely different eras. Your Noble Heart
series takes place in England shortly after the crusades during the Middle
Ages. Your next series, Montana Romance, is set in the late 1800s in America.
What is your favorite time period to write, and do you prefer America or
England as your setting?

You know, I was just thinking about this and wondering if I
should be limiting myself to one place and era of history. My problem is that I love all of
history. I majored in history twice at
two different universities because I wanted more after getting my first
degree. And I also remember devouring
the books of Julie Garwood when I was younger, who took me from the West to
England to Scotland in all sorts of times.
I love the idea of being an author about whom people ask, “Where are we
going next?”

As for switching from the Middle Ages to Montana in the
1890s, it’s not as far of a stretch as you might imagine. Both were periods of great development and
change, both were more advanced than people assume, and Medievalism actually
enjoyed a huge revival in the late Victorian era thanks to the
Pre-Raphaelites. I think they would have
been interested in reading my medieval Noble Hearts series in Cold Springs,
Montana 1896.

What’s your favorite
part about researching for a new novel?

Reading history books!
I know, that makes me sound like a nerd (which I am). I love having the chance to delve into a new
era and to soak up all of the social history of that time as I can. I’ve read some great non-fiction books in the
last few years because of it.

From reading chapter
one posted on your website, you surely do leave your readers hanging. *tsk tsk*
I suggest you all head over to Merry’s site and read chapter 1. This series
sounds intriguing. Are you currently working on book 3 in your Montana Romance
series?

Yes, I am, although I have one other project to finish up
first before I can really dive into it.
I’m also writing a novella that involves some of the minor characters of
the world of Cold Springs while taking a step back from the four main books of
the series. I’m hoping to have the
novella, Sarah Sunshine, ready by
late this summer, and if I’m lucky, In
Your Arms, the third Montana Romance book which centers around Christian
Avery (yes, the man does actually have the capacity to fall in love) either very
late this year or early in 2014.

Have you always been
a writer? What is it that got you to take that leap to become an author and
have your books published?

Yep, I have always been a writer. I remember the magical feeling of learning
how to write when I was in first grade, the pride I felt the day I learned to
spell “grasshopper” (my longest word!).
I started writing stories in third grade, when I was 10, and haven’t
stopped since. My childhood wasn’t an
easy one for many reasons and I both read and wrote to escape and to entertain
myself and my friends.

I toyed around with the idea of publishing about ten years
ago or so, but something about the publishing world and the process didn’t sit
well with me. I attended some
conferences, submitted to about a dozen agents, and then dropped the whole
thing. I just wanted to write! Then about two years ago, when I was at the
Philadelphia Writers Conference, the buzz was all about self-publishing. I knew that was the right fit for me. It gave me the independence and
self-accountability that I need to be motivated. So I hired an editor to work with me on The
Loyal Heart (first in my Noble Hearts series and my first published book) and
the rest is history! I do still
entertain the idea of taking a step back and trying the traditional publishing
route, but I waffle so much about it that it’s not even funny! And I just want to write!

Recently, several of
my readers made mention that they would love to someday write and publish their
first work. What advice would you give emerging authors?

Write! I know that
seems trite, but it’s what you need to do.
Write everything, from original novels to fan fiction to poetry, if the
spirit moves you. You learn so much by
writing, and if you don’t have finished work to publish, well, the next step is
impossible. I also recommend hiring a
professional editor to work with you.
Friends are nice (too nice), beta-readers are helpful, but there is no
education more valuable than what you will experience working with a professional
editor. I owe just about everything I
know to my editor. What she taught me
about the craft was as magical as writing “grasshopper” for the first time.

Then, once you’ve done that, do a little research to find
out which publishing means is right for you.
The answer isn’t always going to be traditional publishing and it’s not
always going to be self-publishing. Both
have their advantages and drawbacks. But
keep an open mind toward both. I hear
about self-published writers who want to go traditional quite a bit (I might be
one of them, not sure) but I’ve also started hearing stories of traditionally
published mid-list authors leaving their contracts and “going indie”. No one knows what the future of publishing
looks like, so embrace all of it!

Oh, and one more thing: Be nice! This is a small world and I have it on good
authority – not to mention personal experience – that the industry wants to
work with nice people and it will back away from mean, discourteous, and
selfish people. Deal kindly and honestly
with your fellow writers and readers and help each other out whenever possible.

Great advice, Merry! I’m
sure if my readers have any further questions, they will post them in the
comments section.

Thank you so much,
Merry, for allowing me to interview you about your newly released novel, Fool for Love. It was a pleasure having
you on Leatherbound Reviews. I wish you the best of luck with this series, and
I look forward to reading it!

Thanks Jakki! It was
my pleasure.

From the publisher:

Eric Quinlan was born a cowboy and a rancher and intends to
die a cowboy and a rancher. But when his
ranch is in danger of failing, he travels to the wilds of London looking for a
business deal to save it. What he finds
there are stuffed shirts, odd manners, and a damsel in distress.

Amelia Elphick’s life is over. She may have been born a lady, but when she
finds herself jilted by a lover who leaves her pregnant and refuses to marry
her, she seems destined for a life on the streets. When her employer’s rough but handsome
houseguest, Eric, offers to rescue her from ruin, she has no choice but to say
yes, even if it means moving halfway around the world.

But Amelia finds herself saying yes to more than a ticket
west. What starts with a harmless lie
tangles Amelia and Eric in a web of desire and deceit that exposes passions and
turns their worlds upside-down. Eric
believes Amelia holds the key to saving his beloved ranch and giving him the family
he always wanted, but can he save her from the demons of her past without
losing himself in the process?

Amelia could do nothing but stand there, her brain foggy from
shock and tears and betrayal.

Mr. Quinlan cleared his throat, pulling her attention back to
him. He shifted his weight to his other
leg, let his arm drop, hat in one hand, and looked her in the eyes. She had never seen a man so anxious, as if he
was the one in utter disgrace.

“Look, I’m really sorry about everything that happened last
night.”

Amelia lowered her head.
“I … I am so sorry you had to witness that, Mr. Quinlan.”

“Yeah, well so am I,” he mumbled. “That Mr. what’s-his-name was a total ass,
treating a lady like that.”

She looked up, her stomach twisting. “Oh no, sir,” she corrected him. “I’m afraid I was the one in the wrong.” It was all she could do not to choke on the
words. “Mr. Hayworth was perfectly
within his rights to react as he did. I
… I am not a lady, I-”

“If he had tried that where I come from,” Mr. Quinlan
interrupted, striding across the room to her, “he woulda had about a dozen men
all over him. It’s pitiful to dismiss a
lady such as yourself like that.”

An ironic smile twitched at the corners of Amelia’s
mouth. “I’m afraid you misunderstand,
Mr. Quinlan. I … I am a fallen woman
now. My disgrace is complete. It was not my place to cause a scene.”

He puffed an annoyed sigh and threw his hands out, narrowly
missing a vase of hothouse flowers with his hat. “You know, I never understood you English
people and your ‘places’. A lady’s a
lady as far as I’m concerned.”

“But my family,” she fumbled, no desire to explain the past.

“Your father did something bad, I dunno,” he finished for her,
his tone not caring. He paced a few
steps to a small table and fingered the edge of it, picking at an invisible
spot. He flicked his hair out of his
face and darted a glance out the window at a passing carriage. Amelia bit her lip as she watched his antics.

Finally, he shook his head and turned away from the pouring
rain outside the window. “Well, this
isn’t how I wanted to start things.”

Amelia fidgeted with her skirt. “Start what, Mr. Quinlan?”

He ran a hand through his hair and paced back to where Amelia
stood. When he reached her, swaying too
close for a moment then backing off a step, he screwed up his mouth as if
something were trying to escape from it and he wasn’t sure if he should let it
out or keep it in. His back and
shoulders were stiff as he glanced to Amelia, then at the floor, out the
window, and back to Amelia again. It
struck her that his awkward ways were uncommonly charming.

As soon as the dangerous thought entered her mind, she pushed
it away.

“I suppose a fine lady like you is mighty attached to a fancy
place like this, but I understand that you’re in a heap of trouble after last
night and got no place to go. Now, I
know it’s short notice, but I’m leaving London to head back to Montana tomorrow
and I was wondering if, well, if you might want to come with me.”

Amelia’s sore eyes widened.
Her breath caught in her throat.
“Go with you?”

“Yeah.”

“To Montana?”

He shifted. “I’ll pay
for your passage and all. I don’t mind
doing it at all after what I saw last night.
It seems to me that you’re pretty much sunk here. But Montana is just lousy with opportunity
these days, even for women. Cold Springs
could use a smart, pretty girl like you, and ... and, well, that’s it.” He ended his speech by blushing and lowering his
head, looking up at her through his lashes.

Amelia’s heart fluttered, but it had nothing to do with Mr.
Quinlan’s charm.

Montana. It was a world
away, a world where no one knew about her father drinking away his fortune and
leaving his wife and daughters to make their own way. It was a world where no one knew how her
mother had positioned herself and two of her daughters in rich men’s beds so
that they could continue to afford the luxuries they were dependent on. Most importantly, it was a world where no one
knew how she, Amelia Elphick, had foolishly thought going to a man’s bed would
solve all of her problems.

***GIVEAWAY TIME***

Merry Farmer has offered up one copy of Our Little Secrets, the first novel in her Montana Romance series, for giveaway. To enter, please leave a comment for Merry asking her a question or telling her what intrigues you about Fool for Love. Make sure you leave your email address so I know how to contact the winner. Tweet daily for extra entires (leaving a comment you tweeted).*ebook will given to international winner. US winner will have reader's choice: paperback or ebook!*

Friday, April 26, 2013

Author Maria Grace is visiting Leatherbound Reviews today as part of her blog tour for her latest release, All the Appearance of Goodness. I have quite enjoyed the first two books in her Given Good Principles series, and I am looking forward to reading this one later this summer. Without further ado, I am going to turn it over to Grace. Thanks, Jakki for hosting me on my blog tour for All the Appearance
of Goodness, the third installment in the Given Good Principles series. I
always like to add bonus material for my books for the online audience. So
here’s the very first peek at the epilogue for All the Appearance of Goodness.

A petite young woman stood silhouetted against the rising
sun. Her warm woolen coat hid her
increasing belly to all but the most observant witnesses. The morning mist
caressed her face, welcoming her into the quiet church yard. From the window of the grey stone parish
church, her observer watched the vigil, repeating a common ritual. A familiar
pull tugged at the vicar’s heart. John
Bradley pursed his lips and nodded his grey head.

He donned his coat reached for his cane, his familiar
wintertime friend. The gnarled wooden knob fit his calloused hand, reminding
him of years gone by, but those reflections would wait until later. He looped his new muffler, knitted for him by
Pemberley’s mistress, around his neck and pulled on his wide brimmed hat. Now
he was ready to face the cold morning air. Ordinarily, he would not have been
so diligent in his preparations, but the young woman would scold him
relentlessly if he did not. He smiled to himself and pushed the heavy wooden
door open. A chill wind buffeted him as
he stepped into the morning. He pulled
the muffler tighter around his neck.
How dear were the hands that had crafted the thoughtful gift. The entire estate benefited greatly from her
presence.

He approached with deliberate, unhurried steps. There was
plenty of them for reflection and contemplation this morning. She did not turn
when he stopped beside her. For several minutes they stood in silence, side by
side, contemplating the neat graves, two long set, two others much more recent,
but showing signs of settling into the quiet repose of the family resting
place.

“I can hardly believe they are gone.” Her voice was
brittle in the morning breeze.

“It is always a tragedy to lose a babe before he is
churched,” Bradley touché her shoulder softly. “I buried my daughter and her
son before he was churched. I understand.”

She turned to him, tears trickling down her cheeks. “I am
so sorry that you do. I would not wish this pain on anyone.” She looked back at
the graves and dabbed at her face with her handkerchief. “I never expected to
lose them, and so close together. Who would have thought?”

He shook his head.

She wrapped her arms around her belly. “I think I would be
more afraid of my coming confinement if it were not for your comfort.”

“I am grateful to have been service.”

The iron gate screeched. No amount of oiling or mending
seemed to change its familiar greeting. It closed again, the clang echoing against
the church wall and gravestones. A tall,
young man carrying a quiet baby in his arms. The child gazed up at the him with
a smile and sparkling eyes.

“I think Bennet was pleased to go with me this morning,”
Darcy stood beside his wife and Bradley. “His parents were pleased to know he was
so content in their choice of caregivers whilst they visit Meryton.”

“I do believe you are correct, sir. He seems in quite good
spirits.” Bradley reached up to pat the boy’s cheek, allowing the child the
grab his finger and try to shove it in
his mouth. “He is a dear child with such a sweet disposition.”

Darcy laid a warm hand on her shoulder. “Mary will be a
good mother to him in her stead.”

“And he will be a good son to her and Pierce.” She looked
up at him lovingly. “They all have you to thank for that.”

Darcy shook his head, “She was my sister; I could have
done no less. Would that I could have
done more.”

“What more was there to do?” She shrugged. “After she
eloped with Lt. Harris she could not return to Meryton, much less return as a
widow, near to her confinement. The scandal would have destroyed my mother.” She
leaned her head on his shoulder. “And it was you who insisted she be buried
here, near the place where she found comfort in her last months.”

Bennet squirmed and reached out for his aunt.

She took him from Darcy and kissed the baby’s cheek. “He
is such a cheerful boy, so much like Lydia.
She was such a comfort to Mary, both of them sharing their confinement
together.”

“It was difficult to watch Mary struggle so.” Darcy straightened
his coat. He gazed at the marble cherubim standing guard over his parent’s
graves.

“She was so hopeful after Lydia delivered so easily. After
two day of travail, I was sure we would lose her, not Lydia.” Elizabeth cuddled
Bennet closer. “After all that, it seemed so cruel that Mary’s son never took
his first breath.”

“No, dear, it was a mercy.” Darcy shuddered slightly. “The
child could not have lived long and watching him die slowly would have been
worse.”

“I do not think Mary would have lived if Bennet had not
needed her so desperately.” Elizabeth glanced back at Bradley.

“I am grateful I did not have to bury another daughter
that day.” Bradley swallowed hard. “Instead, I have a grandson, Bennet Bradley
Harris Pierce. The boy has almost as many names as you, Darcy.” He took the
baby from Elizabeth. “God has been good to us. And God willing, in the summer,
little Bennet will start to welcome his cousins.”

“It is still
difficult to imagine Richard a father.” Darcy laughed.

“I suppose he says the same of you.” Elizabeth arched her
eyebrow at him.

“That he does. He might be insufferable if he had been the
first to produce an heir but since we attribute that honor to Pierce now, his
pride is under good regulation.”

“I just received a letter from Louisa and one from Kitty. It
seems there will be more cousins to welcome in the fall.”

“Now Bingley I can picture as a father! I remember well
watching him and Kitty playing with the Gardiner’s children. I think I envied
his ease with them.”

“In that, I believe little Bennet has done you a world of
good. You are quite comfortable with him now.” Lizzy twined her fingers in his
as she looked up at him.

They reminded Bradley so much of George and Anne Darcy.
They would have been proud of the man Darcy had become. It was good to have
Pemberley manor filled with the smiles and sighs of love once again.

Elizabeth peeked at Bradley. She giggled and broke away,
taking the baby back.

“You are all men of good principles. I am grateful that I
have been allowed to be here to help pass them on yet another generation.”
Bradley straightened his coat and his muffler.

“As are we, sir.” Lizzy leaned over and kissed
the vicar’s cheek.

From the publisher:

What is a young woman to do? One handsome young man has all the goodness, while the other the appearance of it. How is she to separate the gentleman from the cad?

When Darcy joins his friend, Bingley on a trip to Meryton, the last thing on his mind is finding a wife. Meeting Elizabeth Bennet changes all that, but a rival for his affections appears from a most unlikely quarter. He must overcome his naturally reticent disposition if he is to have a chance of winning her favor.

Elizabeth’s thoughts turn to love and marriage after her sister Mary’s engagement. In a few short weeks, she goes from knowing no eligible young men, to being courted by two. Both are handsome gentleman, but one conceals secrets and the other conceals his regard. Will she determine which is which before she commits to the wrong one?

Author Bio:

Though Maria Grace has been writing
fiction since she was ten years old, those early efforts happily reside in a
file drawer and are unlikely to see the light of day again, for which many are
grateful.

She has one husband, two graduate
degrees and two black belts, three sons, four undergraduate majors, five
nieces, six cats, seven Regency-era fiction projects and notes for eight more
writing projects in progress. To round out the list, she cooks for nine in
order to accommodate the growing boys and usually makes ten meals at a time so
she only cooks twice a month.